Previously, aerosol paint products were organic solvent-based, and thus were generally highly flammable, toxic and/or environmentally unfriendly; or were dispensed by propellants such as fluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons that were suspected of depleting the earth's ozone layer.
More recent developments in the aerosol dispensed paint products area have included attempts to develop non-flammable and non-ozone depleting products. Generally, such attempts have used water-based polymer systems and dimethyl ether propellants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,797 teaches an aerosol paint formulation comprising a propellant such as n-butane, isobutane, propane, ethane or dimethyl ether and a water-based concentrate containing a film-forming acrylic polymer and a lower monohydric alcohol. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,661 teaches an aerosol water-based paint composition comprised of an aqueous emulsion of a film-forming polymer which is emulsified into an aqueous solution of dimethyl ether using a nonionic surfactant. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,968,735 and 5,071,900 teach water-based aerosol paint compositions which use dimethyl ether as a propellant and which require a particular type of aqueous thickener.
It is very difficult to formulate a water-based aerosol paint composition which is stable in the can, low in flammability, low in ozone depletion, easily sprayed, produces a uniform, glossy surface and which does not run or drip from the substrate. Prior art attempts to formulate water-based, low flammability, low ozone depleting aerosol paints have suffered from at least one or more of the above deficiencies.
The present invention teaches a water-based latex aerosol composition which is stable in the can, lower in flammability than organic solvent based systems, low in ozone depletion, is easily sprayed, produces a uniform, glossy surface, and which does not exhibit unacceptable run or drip from the surface. All of this is accomplished without the use of any added thickener to the aerosol composition. The present invention is clearly an improvement over the prior attempts to formulate water-based aerosol paints.